Children's home run by Aegis 24/7 Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 1 Registered provider: AEGIS 24/7 Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and who may have drug and/or alcohol dependence.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 25 September 2024

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under The Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 2

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. The child has asked to move from the home on several occasions. The child has experienced punitive and disproportionate responses from the manager and staff. This has led to incidents being prolonged and escalating unnecessarily. Staff have called the police on two occasions to manage the child’s behaviour.

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Findings from the inspection

Things have been calmer over the last two months. However, in the lead up to Christmas, staff were unable to help the child to regulate their emotions. Physical intervention has not been used. Records of incidents do not always clearly describe what has happened. At least one incident is not recorded, although it is referred to in other documents. Furthermore, staff use ambiguous and punitive language in the child’s documents.

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Findings from the inspection

Consequences are disproportionate, do not help the child to learn and are not accurately recorded. The manager has incorrectly described an action, such as preventing the child’s access to the car for a month, as a natural consequence. Children’s documents do not evidence the child’s voice.

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Findings from the inspection

Some staff have worked hard to build positive relationships with the child. The new responsible individual has supported the manager to rebuild their relationship with the child through letter-writing. However, staff do not demonstrate that they have the skills to initiate effective, meaningful or focused conversations with the child to enable progress against their plan. The manager does not have the skills to empower staff to hone their abilities.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has access to formal education for two hours per week. Staff support the child’s education with informal work daily. However, there is no evidence of the child making progress with education. Boundaries and routines have recently improved, including around the expectations of the child’s involvement in education. Clear rules are in place around the child’s use of the internet, and attempts to improve the child’s sleep routine have contributed to the child being able to be ready to learn. The child remains socially isolated, and staff do not have the skills to address this.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have made some effort to support the child to increase their independence skills. The child’s social worker did not feel that staff have done enough in this regard. The social worker has outlined expectations to the manager that staff support the child to progress in line with their pathway plan.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments detail the risks present for the child. However, they contain conflicting information and detail an extensive chronology of information, which Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 3 makes them difficult to understand. Some strategies detailed are ambiguous and are not personalised to the child, based on what staff have learned about them.

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Findings from the inspection

The oversight of children’s documents by leaders and managers is ineffective. This has resulted in poor staff practice going unnoticed and unaddressed. There have been some attempts, during supervision and team meetings, to address some concerns. However, staff are not being supported to reflect on the care that they are providing.

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Findings from the inspection

The new responsible individual has implemented an electronic recording system to address some of these issues. However, it was not possible to evidence that this has had any impact.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortfalls were identified in safer recruitment practice. One staff member’s right to work in the United Kingdom was not confirmed, although this was completed during the inspection. The provider had not requested or received a police check from the same staff member’s birth country. This was also received during the inspection. A second staff member’s original Disclosure and Barring Service certificate has not been seen, and it is not known if this has any concerns. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/06/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet The Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; 7 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 6 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; and

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix) (x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 7 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 7 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 7 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 7 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. 7 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 8 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming. This includes ensuring that any damage to the child’s bedroom is repaired without delay, that the child’s wardrobe has the doors fitted without delay and that the communal areas’ wear and tear is addressed in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 12 Store Street, Sheffield S2 4DA

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Inspector

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2706377 10 and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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